6,373 articles from NOVEMBER 2020

Experiments unravelling the mystery of Mars' moon Phobos

There is no weather in space - but there is weathering: Celestial bodies are bombarded by high energy particles. On the Mars moon Phobos, the situation is complicated: It is hit by particles from the sun, but it is partly shielded by Mars. New experiments explain what is going on, in 2024 a space mission will reach Phobos and check the results.

Customized programming of human stem cells

Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS) have the potential to convert into a wide variety of cell types and tissues. However, the 'recipes' for this conversion are often complicated and difficult to implement. Researchers have now found a way to systematically extract hundreds of different cells quickly and easily from iPS using transcription factors.

Teaching computers the meaning of sensor names in smart home

Researchers have use natural language processing techniques to overcome one of the major difficulties associated with smart homes, namely that the systems developed to infer activities in one environment do not work when they are applied to a different one, because both the sensors and the activities are different. The group has come up with the innovative idea of using words to represent the...

Pyroclasts protect the paintings of Pompeii buried but damage them when they are unearthed

A study shows that pyroclasts may be putting the conservation of the paintings of Pompeii at risk. Specifically, the ions leached from these materials and the underground ion-rich waters from the volcanic rocks may be causing the salts in the paintings to crystallize. In addition, the use of fluorine as a marker is proposed to monitor in situ the extent of the damage sustained by the murals.

Genetic treatment plus exercise reverses fatigue in mice with muscle wasting disease

Adding exercise to a genetic treatment for myotonic dystrophy type 1 was more effective at reversing fatigue than administering the treatment alone in a study using a mouse model of the disease. In fact, exercise alone provided some benefit whereas the genetic treatment alone did not. This study has implications for patients with fatigue due to genetics-related musculoskeletal diseases and other...

Combination therapy might improve outcomes in treatment-resistant liver cancer

A combination cancer therapy that is effective against treatment-resistant hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) by inhibiting tumor growth and increasing survival has been identified. The dual therapy -- which combines the multikinase inhibitor drug regorafenib to 'reprogram' the tumor immune microenvironment, and programmed cell death 1 antibodies to stimulate anti-tumor immunity -- improved survival...

Black bear gut biome surprisingly simple

In recent decades, researchers have found that most mammals' guts are surprisingly complex environments - home to a variety of microbial ecosystems that can profoundly affect an animal's well-being. Scientists have now learned that the bear appears to be an exception, with its gut playing host to a microbial population that varies little across the intestinal tract.

First meta-analysis shows promise for yoga, meditation, mindfulness in concussion

Chronic concussion symptoms are notoriously difficult to treat. But a researcher who is also a yoga instructor and has been teaching yoga for 17 years - is hoping that a recent study, the first-ever meta-analysis looking at the use of yoga, meditation, and mindfulness-based interventions for the effective treatment of chronic concussion symptoms, will offer hope to those still struggling with...

Ultrathin spray-applied MXene antennas are ready for 5G

New antennas so thin that they can be sprayed into place are also robust enough to provide a strong signal at bandwidths that will be used by fifth-generation (5G) mobile devices. Performance results for the antennas, which are made from a new type of two-dimensional material called MXene, could have rammifications for mobile, wearable and connected 'internet of things' technology.

AI model uses retinal scans to predict Alzheimer's disease

A form of artificial intelligence designed to interpret a combination of retinal images was able to successfully identify a group of patients who were known to have Alzheimer's disease, suggesting the approach could one day be used as a predictive tool, according to an interdisciplinary study.

Mothers' stress may lead to preterm births, faster aging in children

Why do some people age faster than others? A new study indicates that a mother's stress prior to giving birth may accelerate her child's biological aging later in life. A second study from the same research group found that women suffering from high stress during the months and even years before conception -- defined as feeling overwhelmed and unable to cope -- had shorter pregnancies than other...

Preschool children can't see the mountains for the cat

Imagine seeing an image of a cat in front of a wide scene of mountains and being told just to remember the mountains if you saw them in a later picture. As an adult, that's not hard to do. But a new study shows that, even when told to pay attention to the mountain, preschool children focus so much on the cat that they won't later recognize the same mountain.

Caribbean coral reefs under siege from aggressive algae

Human activity endangers coral health around the world. A new algal threat is taking advantage of coral's already precarious situation in the Caribbean and making it even harder for reef ecosystems to grow. Just-published research details how an aggressive, golden-brown, crust-like alga is rapidly overgrowing shallow reefs, taking the place of coral that was damaged by extreme storms and...

Earthquake scenario for large German city

What if there is a major earthquake near Cologne? This scenario is subject of the 'Risk Analysis in Civil Protection 2019' report that was recently submitted to the German Bundestag. On the basis of extensive research, experts have listed in detail effects to be expected. What Germans usually only know from abroad results from modeling a strong earthquake near the megacity of Cologne: ground...